SIXTEEN primary schools across North Yorkshire and one in York are “underperforming”, according to a new Government report.

Nine of the North Yorkshire schools have been given notice to improve by Ofsted or have been placed on special measures by the Government – leading to a call by Education Secretary Michael Gove for more improvements to be made.

Mr Gove has now written to all North Yorkshire MPs to air his concern about the results – and called for more primary schools to be converted to academy status, meaning they will be removed from local authority control and funded directly by the Government.

“The system is failing successive cohorts of pupils in North Yorkshire,” he said. “Without urgent and decisive action they will continue to be failed.

“The best way for improvement to happen is for every underperforming school to become an academy with the support of a sponsor. This is an opportunity for the schools to help shape their own future and I hope to see these schools convert to become academies very shortly.”

But Coun Arthur Barker, executive member for schools at North Yorkshire County Council, rejected the claims, saying: “There are currently nine schools in Ofsted categories out of a total of 364 schools in the county, one of the smallest percentages in the country.

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“It is a gross distortion of the facts to assert that the system in North Yorkshire is failing its pupils.

“The rate of improvement in secondary schools which are maintained by the local authority is about twice that in academies within the local authority area.”

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Comments (8)

There is no proof that turning a primary school into an academy will lead to better performance. Simple as that.

There is no proof that turning a primary school into an academy will lead to better performance. Simple as that.Stan2Attention

There is no proof that turning a primary school into an academy will lead to better performance. Simple as that.

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yorkiemum says...11:32am Fri 9 Nov 12

“The best way for improvement to happen is for every underperforming school to become an academy with the support of a sponsor. This is an opportunity for the schools to help shape their own future and I hope to see these schools convert to become academies very shortly.” This is why schools suddenly find themselves in 'special measures' as then the government can turn these supposedly failing school into Academy's where upon they will be straight away taken out of special measures. Gove has said he wants all school to be run as academy status and not by the LEA and this is how he is getting round it

“The best way for improvement to happen is for every underperforming school to become an academy with the support of a sponsor. This is an opportunity for the schools to help shape their own future and I hope to see these schools convert to become academies very shortly.”
This is why schools suddenly find themselves in 'special measures' as then the government can turn these supposedly failing school into Academy's where upon they will be straight away taken out of special measures. Gove has said he wants all school to be run as academy status and not by the LEA and this is how he is getting round ityorkiemum

“The best way for improvement to happen is for every underperforming school to become an academy with the support of a sponsor. This is an opportunity for the schools to help shape their own future and I hope to see these schools convert to become academies very shortly.” This is why schools suddenly find themselves in 'special measures' as then the government can turn these supposedly failing school into Academy's where upon they will be straight away taken out of special measures. Gove has said he wants all school to be run as academy status and not by the LEA and this is how he is getting round it

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Stevie D says...12:08pm Fri 9 Nov 12

Gove must be particularly upset, given that North Yorkshire is such a strongly Tory council and yet has the temerity to put localism ahead of kowtowing to diktats from Number Ten. Yes, it's all a big con, and it's all about bullying and forcing schools into academy status with no justification for doing so.

Gove must be particularly upset, given that North Yorkshire is such a strongly Tory council and yet has the temerity to put localism ahead of kowtowing to diktats from Number Ten. Yes, it's all a big con, and it's all about bullying and forcing schools into academy status with no justification for doing so.Stevie D

Gove must be particularly upset, given that North Yorkshire is such a strongly Tory council and yet has the temerity to put localism ahead of kowtowing to diktats from Number Ten. Yes, it's all a big con, and it's all about bullying and forcing schools into academy status with no justification for doing so.

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York1900 says...12:34pm Fri 9 Nov 12

Grove just wants to pay all the Education budget to schools so the schools can be ripped off by the private sector for the supply of services Schools can not get a big a discount on supplies when they are buy for them selves

Grove just wants to pay all the Education budget to schools so the schools can be ripped off by the private sector for the supply of services
Schools can not get a big a discount on supplies when they are buy for them selvesYork1900

Grove just wants to pay all the Education budget to schools so the schools can be ripped off by the private sector for the supply of services Schools can not get a big a discount on supplies when they are buy for them selves

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metsaagain says...2:13pm Fri 9 Nov 12

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so cross

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so crossmetsaagain

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so cross

Score: 0

metsaagain says...2:14pm Fri 9 Nov 12

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so cross

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so crossmetsaagain

The fact that schools and LEAs are forced into this without any real consultation also shows what a complete and utter sham the 'localism' agenda is- instead the power is removed from parents, removed from democratically accountable local councillors and instead centralised in Whitehall. If the school protests too much, then the governors can simply be removed and replaced by more compliant individuals. Makes me so so cross

Score: 0

Hoofarted says...6:25am Sat 10 Nov 12

The NHS will be next... They despise free healthcare. They despise paying back to less fortunate people..

The NHS will be next... They despise free healthcare. They despise paying back to less fortunate people..Hoofarted

The NHS will be next... They despise free healthcare. They despise paying back to less fortunate people..

Score: 0

bagnall1928@yahoo.com says...2:21pm Thu 15 Nov 12

I attended Scarcrott school and then Priory Street Higher grade school as a child. I received a good all round education too. Good teachers. 50 per class. We went to school to learn. leaving at 14 we went into officers, shops, trade apprenticeships and in the main did well, had a good chance of getting on in the world if you wanted to. There was free nightschool if you were willing to go the 3 nights or so a week after work. Many people have progressed to high places from York schools. No tv or internet then. Pencil, pen and paper, no calculators and the like. an inkwell in your desk. A pencil and a foot ruler. thousands went out to make their mark in the world. my siblings and I likewise. at 84 I am in the USA. My sister in Lanzarote retired too. Without computers, calculators and the like you had to listen and learn. NO tv to distract you, just a radio in most homes. A playing field with swings etc. the Knavesmire to kick a ball about on, Rowntrees or st. Georges bath. Saturday matinee at the cinema. That was it for entertainment. Kids spend their lives with ipads, iphones, computers and the like nowadays. It takes them to 16 to learn what I knew at 14. we had no tv, no computers, no car, we went to the library and read widely. walked everywhere. amused ourselves too in parks and swimming baths, even swimming in the river. There were dances too in those days for teenagers. the coop, the Degrey rooms and other places.

I attended Scarcrott school and then Priory Street Higher grade school as a child.
I received a good all round education too.
Good teachers. 50 per class.
We went to school to learn.
leaving at 14 we went into officers, shops, trade apprenticeships and in the main did well, had a good chance of getting on in the world if you wanted to.
There was free nightschool if you were willing to go the 3 nights or so a week after work. Many people have progressed to high places from York schools.
No tv or internet then. Pencil, pen and paper, no calculators and the like. an inkwell in your desk. A pencil and a foot ruler.
thousands went out to make their mark in the world.
my siblings and I likewise.
at 84 I am in the USA. My sister in Lanzarote retired too.
Without computers, calculators and the like you had to listen and learn. NO tv to distract you, just a radio in most homes.
A playing field with swings etc. the Knavesmire to kick a ball about on, Rowntrees or st. Georges bath. Saturday matinee at the cinema.
That was it for entertainment.
Kids spend their lives with
ipads, iphones, computers and the like nowadays.
It takes them to 16 to learn what I knew at 14.
we had no tv, no computers,
no car, we went to the library and read widely. walked everywhere. amused ourselves too in parks and swimming baths, even swimming in the river.
There were dances too in those days for teenagers.
the coop, the Degrey rooms and other places.bagnall1928@yahoo.com

I attended Scarcrott school and then Priory Street Higher grade school as a child. I received a good all round education too. Good teachers. 50 per class. We went to school to learn. leaving at 14 we went into officers, shops, trade apprenticeships and in the main did well, had a good chance of getting on in the world if you wanted to. There was free nightschool if you were willing to go the 3 nights or so a week after work. Many people have progressed to high places from York schools. No tv or internet then. Pencil, pen and paper, no calculators and the like. an inkwell in your desk. A pencil and a foot ruler. thousands went out to make their mark in the world. my siblings and I likewise. at 84 I am in the USA. My sister in Lanzarote retired too. Without computers, calculators and the like you had to listen and learn. NO tv to distract you, just a radio in most homes. A playing field with swings etc. the Knavesmire to kick a ball about on, Rowntrees or st. Georges bath. Saturday matinee at the cinema. That was it for entertainment. Kids spend their lives with ipads, iphones, computers and the like nowadays. It takes them to 16 to learn what I knew at 14. we had no tv, no computers, no car, we went to the library and read widely. walked everywhere. amused ourselves too in parks and swimming baths, even swimming in the river. There were dances too in those days for teenagers. the coop, the Degrey rooms and other places.

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